Oh how I long to snark about The Book of Awesome and its happy-go-lucky message of appreciating the little things, but unfortunately people, I drank tOh how I long to snark about The Book of Awesome and its happy-go-lucky message of appreciating the little things, but unfortunately people, I drank the Kool-Aide too and am now extremely busy celebrating the minutiae in life!

The Book of Awesome is (wait for it...) awesome! It is chocked full of awesome-sauce such as "High-fiving babies: because they usually don't leave you hanging;" "Taking off your bra after wearing it for hours;" "Waking up before your alarm and realizing that you've got lots of sleep time yet;" "Popping bubble wrap;" and "The shampoo head massage you sometimes get at the hairdresser."

The most awesome-possum thing in the book though, is "Remembering What Movie That Guy Is From" - my family and I play our own version on that game every time we get together. I kid you not, when I go to my parents' house tomorrow, something like this will happen at some time during the day:

Dad: Have you been watching that show on HBO?

Me: Which show?

Dad: You know, that one with that guy? The guy with the hair?

Sister Sarah: Oh yeah, that hairy guy that was in that movie with the girl that wore that pink dress. What was his name?

Mom: Oh, do you mean Mark Damon?

Sister Sarah: No, the other guy. And it's Matt Damon, Mom.

You people may think I exaggerate but no, I assure you this is exactly what we sound like! And the worst part - we're probably talking about Jim Carey or Tom Cruise - now how is it that we cannot come up with the name of Tom freakin' Cruise? After exhausting the combined power of all four of our memory banks, I will then pull out my trusty iPhone and check IMDB and it is truly awesome to finally get that name!

Neil Pasricha, with the help of his website 1000awesomethings.com, has come up with a book that makes me feel extremely awesome. Identifying with and laughing out loud as Pasricha described tons of awesome things that could have come straight out of my life story probably makes me an incredibly ordinary person, but I don't care. It's enough for me to know that others of you "Sneak McDonald's and Hide the Evidence," "Celebrate your pet's birthday even though they have no idea what's going on," and get an exquisite thrill "When you didn't play the lottery and your numbers didn't come up." We are all so totally awesome!...more

I bought this book just before Christmas and have taken the last month or so to really study it. My copy is the "Revised and Updated" version publisheI bought this book just before Christmas and have taken the last month or so to really study it. My copy is the "Revised and Updated" version published in 2010, and one positive change I've noted it that they added Jane Austen back to the lists (she was completely removed in the last edition, can you imagine?! Not a single Austen title in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die?! What exactly did make those lists?) But I digress...

The list of books contained in this guide has been compiled by a group of over 100 authors and literary critics. It is important to note here that you have to consider the people making the lists when deciding whether the books would actually make your list of 1001, or your list of 101 for that matter. The books that I read for example are mostly recommended to me by other readers and book bloggers. In fact, I've been known to go out of my way to avoid books with what I deem excessive literary aclaim and hype. For my purposes, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a fantastic guide for the more classic titles, many of which I'd never heard of before.

All thing considered, warts and all 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is an excellent reference and guide to some of the most well-written literature found in the world. The lists are broken up by century and it is easy to find something that looks like a winner. I have a sneaking suspicion that all book lovers enjoy these lists and guides, but I have to say that 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is not for everyone. I plan to use my copy in conjunction with other guides such as Read This Next and The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List. With these guides, fantastic sites like GoodReads and Novelist, and other readers and bloggers, I will never run out of reading material....more

I received this little gem as a Christmas present from my sister, and while I don't generally read much humor/parody, I knew I was going to love thisI received this little gem as a Christmas present from my sister, and while I don't generally read much humor/parody, I knew I was going to love this book! With chapters such as "Reasons You Meant to Do That," "Kitty Litter Explained," "For Black Cats - Making the Most of Superstition," and ""Getting Away With It," The Devious Book for Cats is the perfect book for any cat lover (and her cats, of course!)

The authors have expertly captures most of the cat-isms and behaviors we all know and love, as well as some interesting insights into subjects such as cats throughout history (with a special emphasis on Egypt,) and the big cat relatives of domestic cats.

The Devious Book for Cats is freakin' hilarious! Word to the wise though: read it when you are alone, in the privacy of your own home. If you read this book in public, you will be pointed at and talked about, because there is no way to read it without loud chortling and guffaws - consider yourselves warned, people!...more

Book lovers always love getting new reading recommendations, and I certainly love reading these books-about-books and "discovering" new authors and boBook lovers always love getting new reading recommendations, and I certainly love reading these books-about-books and "discovering" new authors and books. Despite the fact that I am obviously predisposed to loving this book, Read This Next is FANTASTIC!

Read This Next is organized into the following major sections: Love, Memoir, Family, History, Politics, Humor, Work and Money, War, Religion, and Death. Each section has 12 recommendations as well as several "Read These Too" suggestions, and "Bonus Books." All of these things make Read This Next a wonderful treasure trove of bookish goodness, but the absolute best part of this book are the book group discussion questions. Some of the questions are so hilarious that I have to give you some examples...

From the discussion guide to Camille by Alexandre Dumas, fils:In most twentieth-century romance novels, the lovers end up together at last, happy and safe. Which is more romantic - a happy ending or one where someone tragically croaks? (As we know, by the end of most twenty-first century romance novels, both lovers are vampires, making this a moot point.)

From the discussion guide to All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot:All Creatures Great and Small popularized all things veterinary, and inspired many children to go to vet school - although frankly the image of vetting here is not very appealing. It seems to involve a lot of being stepped on by hoofed beasts, standing in freezing stables, and intimate relations with excrement of all sorts. What is it that's so appealing about Herriot's life?

And my personal favorite, from the discussion guide to Read This Next by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark:In this book, Barrington Hewcott has said he sought to create an allegorical system in which "books" represent the Reagan administration, "authors" are the Soviet Union, and the color red is former attorney general Edwin Meese. Do you think readers even notice complicated allegories like these? If they don't, do the allegories still work away in their unconscious, influencing their beliefs and feelings? Also, by reading this book, can you tell whether Hewcott is a Communist? Do you think he may subliminally have turned you into a Communist? Go to the mirror. Can you see the first signs of Communism forming on your skin? Any beadiness in the eyes, or weakness in the chin? If you see these telltale signs, turn yourself in to the authorities immediately.

If that's not enough to make you pick up this book nothing will Mr./Mrs. Stoneface, and I request that you humorless turkeys stop reading this review at once! ...more

I'm having a hard time putting into words my thoughts and feelings about Eat, Pray, Love. I enjoyed it so much that I literally can't find the words tI'm having a hard time putting into words my thoughts and feelings about Eat, Pray, Love. I enjoyed it so much that I literally can't find the words to do it justice. I could tell you that I saw myself a lot in this book, and was equal parts delighted at the author's courage - her absolute pluckiness of spirit - and at the same time, envious that she had the insight and fortitude to know instinctively what she needed to do in order to survive after her divorce.

Elizabeth Gilbert's journey of self-discovery (how lame does that sound... anyway...) makes for an engrossing and entertaining read. I absorbed her story with ease, and now that I have finished, all I want to do is to pick it back up from the beginning. Eat, Pray, Love is both a chronicle of spiritual awakening and a beautifully woven and inspiring story of a woman learning to find balance within herself. I absolutely loved this book and I hope you do as well....more

Bending Toward the Sun is an emotionally riveting and beautifully written Holocaust memoir. The first section of the book, Rita's story of hiding - liBending Toward the Sun is an emotionally riveting and beautifully written Holocaust memoir. The first section of the book, Rita's story of hiding - living in deplorable conditions, watching as beloved members of her family died - is truly horrifying and distressing. Rita's experiences as a young girl shaped her in a profound way, and the repercussions of the extreme suffering she endured and witnessed, reverberated through the years, touching the lives of not only her children, but also her grandchildren.

In the next section of the book, Rita's daughter Leslie takes center stage, laying the intimacies of her life bare to the reader in order to describe the way a legacy of fear and anxiety can be passed on from generation to generation like a faulty gene. The trauma that Rita endured during WWII and in the years following the war, wounded her psyche and handicapped her emotionally. What is particularly moving about Bending Toward the Sun, is that this family survived and prospered, with an impressive courage that is truly awe-inspiring.

I very much enjoyed the concept of Bending Toward the Sun. I cannot remember ever reading a mother/daughter memoir before this time. Although it is heartbreaking in it's emotional intensity, it was essential to the healing process of this family that their story be told. The thing that I will take away from reading this exceptional memoir, is the strength and fortitude of these amazing women. I highly recommend Bending Toward the Sun to lovers of memoirs/biographies/autobiographies, as well as people interested in the history of WWII and the Holocaust....more

When I received an email from the publisher offering me a review copy of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, I couldn't wait to get me hands on it. I juWhen I received an email from the publisher offering me a review copy of The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, I couldn't wait to get me hands on it. I just knew it was going to be a great book - and I was not disappointed! This is a modern-day detective story, a compelling true-crime drama, with a unique setting: the world of rare books and collectors. Enter at your own risk and discover the fascinating world of book collecting. Explore the motives of John Charles Gilkey, and try to determine what drives people to become fanatic and obsessive over their literary treasures.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is a wonderful read - all-the-more-so because it is a true story. The story is cohesively woven together, using Allison Hoover Bartlett's alternating interviews of John Gilkey and Ken Sanders. The details of Gilkey's crimes are marvelous and shocking, totally immersing the reader in the mind of an unrepentant book thief and Sanders, his very own "Sherlock Holmes." It is inevitable when reading The Man Who Loved Books Too Much, that the reader will become infuriated with Gilkey and his idea that he is entitled to the rare books he takes, simply because he wants but cannot afford to buy them. He feels that it is not fair for a bookseller to sell a rare book for $40,000, because that puts the book out of his reach. He wants these books not to read them, but as status symbols. What he neglects to understand is that if everyone could afford to buy these rare books, they would cease to be symbols of wealth and prosperity.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much was a "can't-put-it-down" book for me. I read it cover to cover in a single afternoon and my only complaint is that the story is unfinished! At the end of the book Bartlett states that John Gilkey continues to steal books even today. I wish that the book could have concluded with Gilkey "learning his lesson" or at the very least, being locked up for an extended time, but I understand why this did not happen. The "need" he has to acquire books, and also to "stick it" to the booksellers that he believes are the real thieves, is really a compulsion. I'm not sure it is something that can ever be "cured."

An extremely well-researched, fun and easy read, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much will appeal to fans of detective fiction and book-a-holics everywhere. The story is captivating, the characters, quirky and interesting - a completely engrossing and quick read. I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the literary world....more

Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape is a memoir of the short span of time he spent with his wife Renee, before she passed away suddenly and unexpectedlRob Sheffield's Love is a Mix Tape is a memoir of the short span of time he spent with his wife Renee, before she passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism. A music critic and contributing editor at Rolling Stone Magazine, Rob tells his story through a selection of 22 of the many mix tapes he and Renee made together and for each other during the decade of Nirvana. Sheffield builds a beautiful love story line-by-line and song-by-song, between a "shy, skinny, Irish Catholic geek from Boston" and a "real cool hell-raising Appalachian punk-rock girl."

I'm having a hard time with this review - nothing I am writing seems to do justice to the book. As a teen in the 90's, I was a girl of many mix tapes. I remember most of the music with a great deal of nostalgic fondness - even if I didn't appreciate certain songs at the time.

From Love is a Mix Tape: "There's a lot I miss about the nineties. It was an open, free time of possibilities, changes we thought were permanent. It seemed inconceivable that things would ever go back to the way they were in the eighties, when monsters were running the country and women were only allowed to play bass in indie-rock bands. The nineties moment has been stomped over so completely, it's hard to imagine it ever happened, much less lasted five, six, seven years. Remember Brittany Murphy, the funny, frizzy-haired, Mentos-loving dork in Clueless? By 2002, she was the hood ornament in 8 Mile, just another skinny starlet, an index of everything we've lost in that time."

Rob Sheffield is an amazing writer, deftly blending pop culture references into his story with each new page, leaving the reader breathlessly trying to keep up. His writing is fresh and witty, his journey of healing through music, extremely personal. I really enjoyed following the soundtrack of his life, and I'd like to share a few of the MANY excellent quotes that had me laughing-out-loud:

"Renee was my hero. Have you ever had a hero? Someone who says, I think it would be a good idea for you to steal a car and set it on fire then drive it off a cliff, and you say, Automatic or standard? That's what Renee was. A lion-hearted take-charge southern gal. It didn't take long for us to get all tangled up in each other's hair."

"I realize it's frowned on to choose a mate based on something superficial like the music they love. But superficiality has been good to me."

"We were looking forward to drawing up a prenuptial agreement, but unfortunately, we found out you can't get one unless you own something."

Read this book: if you've ever been in love. Read this book: if you've ever given or received a mix tape. Read this book: for fun and nostalgia or for a wonderful story of love and devotion. Just read this book.

As you may have guessed from the title, Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa is a biography of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen, best known for her book Out of AfriAs you may have guessed from the title, Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa is a biography of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen, best known for her book Out of Africa. I picked up this biography by Linda Donelson because it was recommended to me by a friend of a friend on GoodReads. She suggested that if I wanted to read Out of Africa, I might also like to learn some of Dinesen's back-story as well, in order to further understand her writing.

In reading Linda Donelson's carefully researched and well-written account of Karen Blixen's life, I believe I've gained some insight into the life of a fascinating woman. In Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa, Donelson skillfully presents a rich picture of the many facets of Blixen's life on her coffee farm. The biographer carefully balances out the facts with a unique understanding of Blixen's literary works. Donelson attempts to shed new light on Blixen's frame of mind, using her short stories and the symbolism they contain. The biography is both engrossing and also sympathetic to Blixen, asserting that she is largely a victim of her own dramatic and romantic ideals. She felt the failure of her farm and marriage intensely, and suffered crippling depression as a result.

Donelson's writing manages to transport the reader to another time and place, while peeling away the layers of myth surrounding Karen Blixen, and getting down to the truth. She portrays Blixen as a complex woman - adventurous and interesting, but also fearful of what the future might bring.

Linda Donelson provides the reader with new insights into the life of a colorful literary figure in this smooth, lyrical biography. Out of Isak Dinesen in Africa is both informative and interesting, and I would recommend this highly readable biography to anyone interested in the life of Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen....more

In what book can you read about a hippo's root canal, a white-tailed deer with earrings, chemotherapy for fish, and a kangaroo with a spinal injury? IIn what book can you read about a hippo's root canal, a white-tailed deer with earrings, chemotherapy for fish, and a kangaroo with a spinal injury? In The Rhino With Glue-On Shoes and Other Surprising True Stories of Zoo Vets and Their Patients, Lucy H. Spelman, DVM and Ted Y. Mashima, DVM have collected 28 stories from the amazing veterinarians around the globe charged with the care of some of the earth's most fascinating and dangerous creatures.

This behind-the-scenes look at veterinary medicine in zoos and in the wild, gets the reader up close and personal for the incredible drama inherent when working with exotic animals. Spelman and Mashima have assembled these captivating tales with humor and great sensitivity to their subject, creating a very entertaining read.

The unconventional patients and their sometimes bizarre ailments were simply extraordinary. There are even two stories from our own Houston Zoo: "The Bugs Have Bugs?" - a story about a group of dung beetles with a bad case of mites; and "Amali's Example" - a chronicle of a young giraffe's leg problems, requiring a custom-made brace. The veterinarians in these stories are creative, innovative, and adventurous, going literally to the ends of the earth in order to help the animals in their care.

Each essay-length story is written by a different veterinarian. Some are very well-written, and some are merely so-so, but it was the tone and subject matter that kept me turning pages, even when the writing didn't "do it" for me. Animals hold a very special place in our lives, and The Rhino With Glue-On Shoes is a wonderfully inspiring book that I would recommend to animal lovers and aspiring veterinarians....more

Since the beginning of time, exotic animals have been used as powerful diplomatic tools, representing the wealth and prestige of their masters. PolitiSince the beginning of time, exotic animals have been used as powerful diplomatic tools, representing the wealth and prestige of their masters. Political gifts of animals such as the strong and intelligent elephant, have long been instrumental in brokering peace and aligning nations as allies. In The Medici Giraffe, Maria Belozerskaya takes us on a fascinating journey through the past, focusing on the exotic animals that have been used throughout history as weapons of war, and the symbols of prosperity and man’s dominion over all living things.

Beginning in 275 BC Alexandria, Belozerskaya takes the reader on a grand expedition using seven major periods of history as jumping off points –

•Ptolemy’s elephants and the first ancient arms race;

•the early Roman games at the Circus Maximus, featuring the brutal slaying of thousands of exotic animals;

•the use of the “Medici giraffe” as a political instrument to build the power of Prince Lorenzo the Magnificent, and enhance the position of the entire Medici family;

•New World animals and human oddities from Montezuma’s menageries as a symbol the conquests of Cortes;

•King Rudolf II and his unsurpassed collection of specimens of natural history from around the globe, used as an escape from his political woes;

•the Australian black swans of Josephine Bonaparte, as pawns in her lifelong attempt to acquire status and influence;

•and the private menagerie of William Randolph Hearst, used to alleviate his massive insecurities and the need to prove himself.

The Medici Giraffe ends with an epilogue from modern history: the story of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, given as a gift from China to the United States during the Nixon administration, serving as animal ambassadors for their wild relatives, and symbolizing endangered animals all over the world and the conservation movement.

The Medici Giraffe covers all manner of animals: from lions, tigers, and bears, to tapirs, kangaroos, dodos and of course the giraffe. Exploring the critical roles animals have played in the history of civilization, Belozerskaya gives us a well-researched and academic account of animals and their many applications within the realm of international politics.

I would recommend The Medici Giraffe not only to animal lovers, but also to readers who enjoy politics, and history buffs, who would like to look at these stories of the past through new eyes. Although the extensive detail Belozerskaya provides can be a little dry at times, if you focus in on, and read just one of the seven sections at a time, you’ll find The Medici Giraffe to be informative and highly entertaining, and the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve put it down....more

I just picked up Bruce Buchenholz's Doctor in the Zoo at the library today, and quickly read in in just over two hours! I'm a nut for anything about aI just picked up Bruce Buchenholz's Doctor in the Zoo at the library today, and quickly read in in just over two hours! I'm a nut for anything about animals, and this books caught my eye today purely by a lucky chance. It was an incredibly enjoyable, if dated (it was published in the 1970s) read.

Doctor in the Zoo is basically a week in the life of the late Dr. Emil Dolensek, chief veterinarian of the New York Zoological Society. Over the course of two years, author/photographer Bruce Buchenholz followed Dr. Dolensek as he made his rounds at the Bronx Zoo, chronicling the joy and heartache that comes with working with animals.Along with information on zoo veterinary staff, the roles of curators, assistant curators, and keepers are also discussed in this quick read.

While Doctor in the Zoo is full of wonderful photography, Buchenholz also gives us amusing and sometimes heart-breaking anecdotes that capture the world of a zoo veterinarian with poignant authenticity. Included in this book are stories of the disappearing tiger, a Caesarean section for a Talipoin monkey, a six-month-old cougar escape artist, and a distinguished zoo vet chasing a sick tapir down the road while whirling a lasso around his head.

Doctor in the Zoo gives the reader a behind-the-scenes all-access pass into the world of captive animal management. Speaking briefly on the affect zoo patrons can have on animals, Buchenholz tells us of an animal who, after dying of old age, was given a necropsy (an animal autopsy) and was found to have fourteen rubber balls in its stomach. He also speaks of the measures zoos must take to prevent diseases carried by animals like dogs and cats, which are not permitted in the zoo, but can sometimes sneak in anyway. Doctors in the Zoo additionally includes some of the problems zoos can face, such as what to do with a blind gazelle, and a Kodiak grizzly bear that has killed it's mate.

I really enjoyed reading all of Doctor in the Zoo, but I must tell you that my favorite part was Buchenholz's description of that maverick of the zoo world, the reptile keeper. His portrayal of the snake keepers at the Bronx Zoo is unquestionably uproarious, and in my experience, astonishingly accurate.

Although published back in 1974, Buchenholz makes some good points that are relevant even in the climate of the modern zoo. Doctor in the Zoo was an inspiring and entertaining trip into the world of a zoo veterinarian, and I am so glad I happened upon it at the library today!...more

A beautifully illustrated guide to the worlds 270 or so species of living primates, The Primate Family Tree is wonderfully organized and easy to read.A beautifully illustrated guide to the worlds 270 or so species of living primates, The Primate Family Tree is wonderfully organized and easy to read. Contained within this slim volume is an introduction to primates - explaining what makes a primate a primate, and information on the geographical distribution, social structure, diet and communication, and of course, conservation strategies.

The Primate Family Tree would be a useful introduction to anyone interested in primates. However, the information may be a little superficial for someone already acquainted with the primate family....more